Soundproofing your house aims to reduce noise levels which results in better rest, better sleep and better mental health. In this article I will talk about different aspects of soundproofing and how it will make your home healthier for you and your children.

The need for soundproofing

Noise is an unwanted or unpleasant sound that can be described being loud, harsh and confusing to the ears. As NIDCD puts it, a prolonged exposure of any noise above 85dB causes gradual hearing loss while the exposure of more than one minute of 110dB or more of noise increases the risk of permanent hearing loss.

These values don’t make sense if you don’t understand how they correspond to the sound level that you may be exposed to. Unless you live in a quiet rural area (40dB) or a quiet suburban (50dB), majority of urban neighborhoods are characterized by loud busy streets, noisy offices, loud heavy traffic, passing subway trains and loud car horns which correspond to between 70dB and 100dB.

Property developers and home builders alike do not take noise seriously as they ought to. This applies to residents as well who only come to think about the sound of their dwellings when health problems like hearing impairment, cardiovascular diseases, sleep disturbances, diabetes and high levels of stress hormones, impaired brain function and hypertension among many others arise.

How to make your home soundproof

Living in a quite environment is possible for you and your children even if you live in a noisy street or next to a highway. All you need to do is improve your home with noise considerations in mind. Sound can be transmitted, absorbed, reflected or diffused and this means that you can create a relatively quiet and pleasant home by balancing all these aspects of sound as follows:

Windows

Windows are major transmitters of noise from outside and this can be minimized by reducing the number of windows or upgrading to sound-proof windows that are designed to stop noise by breaking up the exterior sound waves.

Interior materials

Interior materials that are usually considered luxurious and used on doors and floors can contribute immensely to high sound levels. Such materials include glass and French sliding barn doors, wood and tile floors as well as hardwood staircases.

Avoid this by using soft materials that are known to attenuate sound like fiberglass, acoustic foam, hanging baffles, acoustic partitions and quiet boards among others.

Interior space

One property of sound waves is that they become quieter as they travel further or when an intervening object is placed in their path. An open concept is very convenient when it comes to home entertainment and ease of movement but you will need to consider using large floor rugs and heavy curtains that will help in absorbing sound.

The entertainment system

The entertainment system is usually the source of interior noise in any home. This is especially when you use subwoofers, mount them on walls or place them near sleeping rooms. In such cases, it is mostly children who suffer because they will be deprived of sleep as well as suffer from other health effects that are associated with noise pollution.

Sound pollution is bad for the health of your family especially children and it is important to soundproof your home as a prevention measure to avoid future complications.

Selling a property means selling an asset practically. It takes an owner to follow the right methods to sell his house without any hassle. But to fix the deal faster, it is very muct for the owner to stage the house perfect for the buyers. In order to stage a perfect house, an owner must take care of some areas of the property that requires serious restoration. Let us discuss the fundamental home repairs that can let you sell house fast cash.

Improve the Garden Area

To make tour house more appealing at a glance, you can start with enhancing the garden area. Get off the unwanted bushes and plants that are suppressing the natural beauty of your garden. Get the landscaping professionally done and don’t forget to add some colourful flowering plants. It will make the garden eye soothing and enhance the core appeal of your house automatically.

Get Painting Done

To enhance the look of the house, you can paint it well. The look of the exterior of the house plays an important role when an owner determines to sell house fast cash. The appealing quality of the exterior easily catches the attention of the buyers. Painting the interior is equally important if the inside of the house seems not that attractive. Well, painted interiors can make the rooms of your house spacious and lively.

Repair the Kitchen

The kitchen is the place that buyers check with a greater emphasis. It is the place that people use to create tasty and healthy meals. Hence, you must check and repair the fixtures. Sinks, cabinets, counter-tops, and faucets must be changed if needed. You can think of repainting the kitchen also. A leaking and stinking kitchen can spoil the whole appeal of a property. Hence, the kitchen is the place where you must invest intelligently for retirement.

Bathroom Repairmen is Needed

Bathroom plays a key role when it comes to selling a house. The bathroom comes with a lot of repairmen issues. This is why; you need to check properly if there is any leakage or blockage the drainage system. Apart from the plumbing system, you must check the tiles and other fixtures also. You can invest in changing the faucets and the tiles of the walls. It will be even better if you wisely invest in changing the floor tiles of the bathroom.

Clean the Home Thoroughly

Most of the buyers believe that cleanliness is next to godliness. To make the buyers impressed with the first look of your home, you can invest some money to get your home cleaned professionally. A clean and tidy avatar of the asset can let you sell house fast cash. Professional cleaning not only makes a house clean but refreshing as well.

There are many areas of a house apart from the stated ones. If you are ready to sell your home, then it is needed for you to scout the home to check the faulty areas. A well maintained and beautiful home always gets sold fast. You can get the faulty areas fixed to sell your house faster than others.

School is back and session and that means one thing…the cooler weather is just around the corner. As beautiful as the fall can be and as magical as the winter weather might look, getting your home ready is imperative to surviving the harsh elements throughout the cold season. If you haven’t started preparing, now is the perfect time to get your home ready for the cool weather ahead. Here are some suggestions for getting ready:

Weatherize the House

During the fall and winter, the heating bills tend to surge due to the cost of gas and oil. You can reduce the amount of energy you’re using in your home during the cooler months by improving its efficiency. Over time, every home loses efficiency (some even start off inefficient). Cracks in the walls, around the windows and doors, and issues in the property’s foundation can quickly become ways for cool air to get in the home and your warm heat to get out.

Weatherizing your home essentially means finding and plugging those airways so that you can keep the cold air out and your heat in. Here are some suggestions on how to weatherize your home:

Place weather stripping around the doors and windows

Put plastic around windows that have cracks or let in a lot of cold air

Reinsulate the basement and attic

Fill in cracks with calk

Fix any foundation issues

Service Your Heating System

You’re going to rely on your heating system a lot during the fall and winter. A heating system that isn’t properly maintained will eventually lose efficiency. This isn’t good for a few reasons. First, it will cause the heating system to work harder to generate heat through the house. Second, it will cause your heating bills to increase. Lastly, it could lead to serious damage. Contact a company that specializes in heating repair and maintenance. They can check for any underlying issues and complete routine maintenance like cleaning the ventilation system and changing air filters.

Get the Gutters Cleaned

Having the gutters cleaned at least once or twice a year is necessary for the structure and integrity of your home. When gutters aren’t cleaned, they fill up with debris like twigs and leaves from nearby trees. This debris then clogs the gutter system preventing it from properly navigating rain waters away from your house. When the water isn’t properly routed away from the house, it can saturate the ground around it resulting in serious foundation issues.

If you’re not afraid to grab a ladder and clean them yourself, then by all means, get up there and do it. However, if you’re afraid of heights or have never cleaned the gutters before, it’s best to contact a roofing company for assistance. Not only will they clean your gutters, they can assess your roof to ensure that it will withstand the rain in the fall and the heavy snow and winds in the winter.

Tend to the Garden

Another home improvement task you’ll need to do before the winter comes is tending to the garden. Most of the garden chores you can do yourself unless you happen to have a black thumb. Towards the end of fall you’ll need to start cleaning up and covering up your garden for the winter. Start by getting rid of the dead stems and foliage from your flowers and/or veggies. This prevents them from harboring diseases and insect nests during the winter. Then, get rid of any weeds and debris before the ground gets too cold to deal with. Till the soil and then add compost to the soil. The fall is also a good time to dig and box any raised beds, create a cold frame, and complete any other general gardening repairs.

Home Décor

Some might consider making changes to the home’s décor to bring sort of a warm feeling to the cooler seasons ahead. Some home décor ideas can actually help to make the house feel warmer and save you money. For instance, putting up thicker window treatments can help to keep the cool air out. Switching to heavier bedding minimizes the need for the heat to be turned up too high when it’s cold at night. There are a ton of home décor ideas you could try for the fall and winter.

Well, you’ve got a laundry list of things to complete before the cold weather arrives. It’s a good idea to get started on these things sooner rather than later. As unpredictable as the weather can be at times, you don’t want the cold season to come upon you and you’re not prepared.

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